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Genuine/Detailed Slabs or Body Bags?

21 posts in this topic

Genuine/Details slabs or Body Bags, which would you prefer?

 

Genuine/Details slabs have the advantage of confirming authenticity.

 

Body bags have the advantage that if you don't agree with the "problem" assessment, it is much more easy to try again with the TPG (or another TPG). That is, you don't have to crack out the slab and there is no inherent bias.

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I don't see any downside to a slab with details-grade. If you don't like it, crack it out. It only takes a minute or two.

 

I don't get why anyone would choose to have a BB'd coin returned raw.

Lance.

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I don't see any downside to a slab with details-grade. If you don't like it, crack it out. It only takes a minute or two.

 

I don't get why anyone would choose to have a BB'd coin returned raw.

Lance.

 

but you could damage the coin by cracking it out.

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I don't see any downside to a slab with details-grade. If you don't like it, crack it out. It only takes a minute or two.

 

I don't get why anyone would choose to have a BB'd coin returned raw.

Lance.

 

but you could damage the coin by cracking it out.

 

Only if you treat it like it's a toy out of a gumball machine.

 

Chris

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I thought the "bodybag" was an immensely stupid course of action taken by the TPGs, and complained loudly about it for many years. If you PAY for SLAB, you should GET a SLAB!

 

Then, it is up to the owner as to whether or not he wants to keep the coin in the slab.

 

The current course of action with a non-graded slab is MUCH superior to getting a useless bodybag.

 

And by the way, NGC's willingness to supply a "details" grade is also far superior to the PCGS no-grade tact. Here again, you PAY for a GRADE OPINION. Why should you receive less than what you pay for?

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To me the body bag was the pits for everything except counterfeit and altered coins. The thing was totally worthless and slap in the face to TPG customers.

 

There are some problem coins that are still very valuable. Look at the strawberry leaf large cents for example. None of them can get a clean grade yet they are expensive and desirable. Ditto for something like an 1804 quarter that some coin doctor had colored black. The coin had EF sharpness, but could not be authenticated under the body bag system. Instead it went into an ANACS holder.

 

I disagree with the PCGS code system for problems. If the coin can't get a clean grade than its problems should be spelled out IN ENGLISH. What's wrong with that? As soon as it says "GENUIINE" you know it’s a problem coin, so why beat around the bush with codes that almost no one understands?

 

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I don't see any downside to a slab with details-grade. If you don't like it, crack it out. It only takes a minute or two.

 

I don't get why anyone would choose to have a BB'd coin returned raw.

Lance.

 

Agree. Cracking out the coin wouldn't be that difficult.

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I don't see any downside to a slab with details-grade. If you don't like it, crack it out. It only takes a minute or two.

 

I don't get why anyone would choose to have a BB'd coin returned raw.

Lance.

 

but you could damage the coin by cracking it out.

 

Not necessarily.

 

The old ANACS are easy to pop open, as there is a small release tab on the top edge of the holder you just push in, and the holder will open without prying it with something.

 

The NGC, PCGS, and newer ANACS slabs need a little work but the seal around the edge can be popped with a simple twist on the top corners of the holder. Once the seal has popped enough to slip a dime in between the top and bottom half of the holder, to force it open.

 

 

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Damaged one when I was a rookie!! When I tried to pry it open with a screwdriver after hacksawing it. Needless to say, I don't use a screwdriver any more.... and that 59 cameo half is no longer gradeable!! Oh, the mistakes!!

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The only concern I have is that it seems especially with bust halves that since the big two started details slabbing. they have been much harsher on coins (90% of which have been cleaned at one point or another). Before net grading, they would choose between slabs and bodybags, and often would just downgrade a coin for a light older cleaning, where now it just gets noted on the holder and net graded, which I think is immensely unfair for a cleaning likely done 100 years before I was even born!

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I have never, ever damaged a coin cracking it out of a slab. And that might be hundreds of coins.

 

Before I cracked my first NGC and PCGS slabs, I studied the holders for sometime to determine the best way to crack them open. I found if you grab onto one of the top corners of the holder with a small pair of pliers and the bottom with your hand and give a good hard twist, you can pop the seal on the edge, then slip a dime into the opening and keep twising all the way around the edge until the holder opens for you.

 

The older ANACS slabs were easy, just push in the tab on the top edge with a dime and it pops right open.

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I agree with James, If you submit a coin it should be graded.

A grade (IMHO) should not exclude problems a coin may have, instead it should identify the problems.

 

OP

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I have never, ever damaged a coin cracking it out of a slab. And that might be hundreds of coins.

 

Before I cracked my first NGC and PCGS slabs, I studied the holders for sometime to determine the best way to crack them open. I found if you grab onto one of the top corners of the holder with a small pair of pliers and the bottom with your hand and give a good hard twist, you can pop the seal on the edge, then slip a dime into the opening and keep twising all the way around the edge until the holder opens for you.

You had to go there :tonofbricks: .

 

The very first slab I ever tried to crack was a SEGS, and if you know these monsters, you know they are tough as battleship armor - especially if you do not know the hammer method, which I did not at the time. I hit that danged slab with every sized pliers, nippers and screwdrivers you can think of, and all it did was laugh at my puny efforts. And that was with TWO of us working it over at the same time.

 

Finally, after probably half an hour of twisting, pulling, sawing and grinding, we got that sucker apart. Later, I learned the hammer method, and have entrusted all slabs to that strategy ever since.

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I have never, ever damaged a coin cracking it out of a slab. And that might be hundreds of coins.

 

Before I cracked my first NGC and PCGS slabs, I studied the holders for sometime to determine the best way to crack them open. I found if you grab onto one of the top corners of the holder with a small pair of pliers and the bottom with your hand and give a good hard twist, you can pop the seal on the edge, then slip a dime into the opening and keep twising all the way around the edge until the holder opens for you.

You had to go there :tonofbricks: .

 

The very first slab I ever tried to crack was a SEGS, and if you know these monsters, you know they are tough as battleship armor - especially if you do not know the hammer method, which I did not at the time. I hit that danged slab with every sized pliers, nippers and screwdrivers you can think of, and all it did was laugh at my puny efforts. And that was with TWO of us working it over at the same time.

 

Finally, after probably half an hour of twisting, pulling, sawing and grinding, we got that sucker apart. Later, I learned the hammer method, and have entrusted all slabs to that strategy ever since.

 

I was afraid of using a screw driver to punch a hole in the holder. My luck I would have gouged the coin.

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Damaged one when I was a rookie!! When I tried to pry it open with a screwdriver after hacksawing it. Needless to say, I don't use a screwdriver any more.... and that 59 cameo half is no longer gradeable!! Oh, the mistakes!!

 

That must have hurt a lot. It is my understanding that the 59 is the key to the cameo Franklin series.

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59 is one of the keys, of course, 52 being the king. But yea, it hurt!! Was only a $30 mistake but was hoping it would become a several hundred dollar coin for me.

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